Interrogation Techniques

The Interview and Interrogation Techniques course is intended for professionals who work in private or public investigation and who want to deepen their skills in conducting interviews and interrogating.

In particular, the course focuses on private investigators who already have the Private Investigator diploma, and on investigators who want to hone their interviewing techniques.

The following prior education requirements apply to participation in the Interview and Interrogation Techniques course:

• The participant must have a good command of the Dutch language, both orally and in writing.
• In addition, it is required to complete a short selection process.
• Furthermore, participation is reserved for persons who hold the Private Investigator diploma or who work as investigative officers.

The Interview and Interrogation Techniques course is taught at hbo(+) level.

The study load for the Interview and Interrogation Techniques course amounts to a total of approximately 18 to 24 hours, spread over:

• 2 practical days of 6 to 8 hours of intensive teaching in small groups each
• 1 day of self-study, to prepare and/or deepen the course material

During the Interview and Interrogation Techniques course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to conduct interviews and interviews in a professional, legally responsible and targeted manner. The course focuses on both the preparation, execution and reporting of conversations, with an eye for ethics, objectivity and effectiveness. The course is highly practical, with plenty of room for practice, reflection and personal development.

Among other things, you will learn:

• How to set up and conduct an interview or interview in a structured way
• Asking open and neutral questions
• Recognizing and interpreting non-verbal communication, such as body language and intonation
• Applying legal and ethical frameworks in conversations
• Conducting conversations in cases such as theft, transgressive behavior and fraud
• Ensuring independence during the interview and reporting
• Prepare legally correct and evidence-based reports
• Working with realistic case studies and role-playing games with feedback

The Interview and Interrogation Techniques course is provided in an intensive, practical course with a lot of personal guidance and realistic practice situations. This course is designed to optimally prepare you for practice, with realistic case studies, personal attention and concrete tools for professional interview and interrogation work. The course format includes:

• Classroom lessons in a small group of 4 to 8 students
• Practical exercises, including interviewing an interpreter and a training actor
• Use of templates, including:
  
  • Interview and interrogation plan
  • Interview invitation
  • Interview report
  • Interview report
• Lesson folder with all course material
• Direct feedback and reflection on your own actions

The examination of the Interview and Interrogation Techniques course consists of a practical final test in which you show that you can apply the skills you have learned. The emphasis is on practice, professional execution, careful analysis and the quality of your report. This assessment consists of:

• A realistic end scenario where you conduct an interview or interrogation
• Working with an interpreter to test your communication skills in multilingual situations
• Deployment of a training actor who acts as an interlocutor in a realistic case
• Analysis and evaluation of the interview or interrogation, reflecting on your approach, interviewing and compliance with legal and ethical guidelines
• Reporting the interview or interrogation on the basis of legally correct and objective reporting

After obtaining the Interview and Interrogation Techniques diploma, as a professional, you can independently and responsibly conduct interviews and interrogations within legal and ethical frameworks. You have the knowledge, skills and tools to conduct, correctly record and analyse conversations in a targeted manner. Specifically, you can:

• Prepare and conduct structured and professional interviews and interviews
• Communicate effectively, even in complex or sensitive situations, possibly with the use of an interpreter
• Prepare legally correct and objective interview and interrogation reports
• Working methodically with internal investigations, integrity issues, fraud cases or employment disputes
• Strengthen your position as a private investigator or investigator with specialist interview techniques

The costs for the Interview and Interrogation Techniques course are €1500 euro excluding VAT (€1815, - including VAT).

You can register for the Interview and Interrogation Techniques course by filling out the registration form at the bottom of this page and scheduling an intake interview.

After your application, you will go through a selection process, which consists of:

• An intake interview (motivation, background and learning goals)
• A personality test and test for insight into intelligence, motives and team style
• Identity document verification
• For private investigators: a valid yellow pass
• For government employees: a valid service ID
• Signing a Declaration of Integrity and Confidentiality